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[[Image:Japji sahib art.jpg|thumb|300px|A calligram of Guru Nanak Dev ji using Japji Sahib Bani|left]]
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[[Image:SGGS p1.jpg|thumb|right|An exquisitely illuminated page from one of the Guru Granth Sahib manuscripts at the Sikh Reference Library, showing the Mool Mantar and the beginning of the Japji Sahib Bani]]'''Japji Sahib''' consists of the ''[[Mool Mantar]]'', a set of 38 [[Pauri]]s (hymns) and a final ''[[Salok]]''. This [[Bani]] called Japji Sahib, appear at the very beginning of the Sri [[Guru Granth Sahib]] from Page 1 to Page 8 in the [[Holy Book]] of the [[Sikh]]s. It is regarded as the most important [[Bani]] or 'set of verses' by the Sikhs and is recited every morning by all practising faithful of this religion. The word ‘Jap’ means to ‘recite’ or ‘to ‘chant’. ‘Ji’ is a word that is used to show respect as is the word ‘Sahib’.
[[Image:Japji sahib art.jpg|thumb|250px|A calligram of Guru Nanak Dev ji using Japji Sahib Bani, by Devinder Singh|right]]


This Bani was composed by the founder of the faith, Sri [[Guru Nanak]] Dev Ji who was the first of ten human [[Guru]]s of this faith. [[The Ten Gurus of Sikhism]] were responsible for the creation of this faith which took place over period 1469 to 1708 -  a period of about 239 years. At the point when the last of these Gurus departed this Earth, the Guruship was passed to the Sikh Holy Book, the [[SGGS]]. The Sikh treat the [[SGGS]] as a living Guru and the respect shown for the [[Shabad]] or ‘Message of the Gurus’ is unique in this religion.
* ''For Japji Sahib [[Japji Sahib Ji|Step by Step learning '''click here''']]'' or for the newer version '''''[[Learn all of Japji Sahib|click here]]'''''


The message given by [[Guru Nanak]] in Japji Sahib is said to be a summary of the message contained within the whole of the [[Sri Guru Granth Sahib]].  
'''Japji Sahib''' is the first sacred composition found in the main [[Sikh holy scripture]] called the [[Guru Granth Sahib]]. It is a famous and concise summary of the [[Sikh philosophy]] which was compiled by the founder of [[Sikhism]] and the first spiritual guide of the [[Sikhs]] known worldwide as [[Guru Nanak]].  


The collections of hymns of [[Sikh]] daily prayer are often compiled separately in a small book form called [[Gutka]]s or "[[Nitnem]]" (meaning daily prayer) Gutkas. All Nitnem Gutkas start with Japji Sahib but may also contain other [[Bani]]s (hymns) as well.
The composition consists of the ''[[Mool Mantar]]'', an opening [[Salok]] or verse, a set of 38 [[Pauri]]s or hymns, and a final closing ''[[Salok]]''. This [[Bani]] called Japji Sahib, appears at the very beginning of the [[Guru Granth Sahib]] from [http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=1 Page 1] to [http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&g=1&h=1&r=1&t=1&p=0&k=0&Param=8 Page 8] in the [[Holy Book]] of the [[Sikh]]s Nay! of Humanity. It is the most important [[Bani]] or 'set of verses' and is lovingly recited by all Sikhs every morning. The word ‘Jap’ means to ‘recite’/‘to ‘chant’/'to stay focused onto'. ‘Ji’ is a word that is used to show respect as is the word ‘Sahib’.  


The description of Japji Sahib that follows is taken from "The Encyclopedia of Sikhism" by Harbans Singh (published in 1996 by the Punjabi University, Patiala):
==Introduction==
This [[Bani]] was composed by the founder of the faith, Sri [[Guru Nanak]] Dev Ji who was the first of ten human [[Guru]]s of this faith. [[The Ten Gurus of Sikhism]] were responsible for the creation of this faith which took place over period [[1469]] to [[1708]] - a period of about 239 years.
 
At the point when the last of the [[Human Gurus]] departed this Earth, the [[Guruship]] was passed to the [[Holy Book]], the [[Sri Guru Granth Sahib]] ([[SGGS]]). The [[SGGS]] is treated as a living Guru and the respect shown for [[Shabad|its Commandments]] is unique. This [[Bani]] (composition) encompasses the spirit and theme of whole of the [[Sri Guru Granth Sahib]].
 
The collections of hymns of [[Sikh]] daily prayer are often compiled separately in a small book form called [[Gutka]]s or "[[Nitnem]]" (meaning daily prayer) Gutkas. All Nitnem Gutkas start with Japji Sahib and contain other [[Bani]]s (hymns) as well.
 
The description of Japji Sahib that follows is taken from "[[The Encyclopedia of Sikhism]]" by Harbans Singh (published in 1996 by the Punjabi University, Patiala):


{{Quote|...Japji is the most riveting Sikh Prayer recited by the devout early in the morning. The composition is not assigned to any particular raga or musical measure, as is the rest of the Scriptural text...<br><br>
{{Quote|...Japji is the most riveting Sikh Prayer recited by the devout early in the morning. The composition is not assigned to any particular raga or musical measure, as is the rest of the Scriptural text...<br><br>
"Japji is universally accepted to be the composition of Guru Nanak, the founding prophet of Sikhism, although, unlike other scriptural hymns and compositions, it remains anonymous without being credited individually to any of the Gurus..."<br><br>
"Japji is universally accepted to be the composition of Guru Nanak, the founding prophet of Sikhism, although, unlike other scriptural hymns and compositions, it remains anonymous without being credited individually to any of the Gurus..."<br><br>
"Preceded by what is called [[Mool Mantar]], the basic statement of creed, the Japu comprises an introductory sloka and 38 stanzas traditionally called pauree and a concluding Salok attributed by some to Guru Angad. The initial Salok too appears again in the Scripture as a preamble to the 17th [[Astapadi]] of [[Guru Arjan]]'s famous composition [[Sukhmani Sahib | Sukhmani]], the Psalm of Peace. The entire composition including the Mool Mantar, two saloks and the thirty eight pauris form the sacred morning prayer Japji Sahib or “Japu Nisanu”. It serves as a prologue to the Scripture and encapsulates Guru Nanak's creed and philosophy, as a whole..."<br><br>
"Preceded by what is called [[Mool Mantar]], the basic statement of creed, the Japu comprises an introductory sloka and 38 stanzas traditionally called pauree (steps) and a concluding Salok attributed by some to Guru Angad. The initial Salok too appears again in the Scripture as a preamble to the 17th [[Astapadi]] of [[Guru Arjan]]'s famous composition [[Sukhmani Sahib | Sukhmani]], the Psalm of Peace. The entire composition including the Mool Mantar, two saloks and the thirty eight pauris form the sacred morning prayer Japji Sahib or “Japu Nisanu”. It serves as a prologue to the Scripture and encapsulates Guru Nanak's creed and philosophy, as a whole..."<br><br>
"The message of the “Japu” is abiding in nature and universal in application. It simply describes the nature of Ultimate Reality and the way to comprehend it, and is not tied to any particular religious system. In a word it simply defines Sikhism, the religious view of Guru Nanak..."}}
"The message of the “Japu” is abiding in nature and universal in application. It simply describes the nature of Ultimate Reality and the way to comprehend it, and is not tied to any particular religious system. In a word it simply defines Sikhism, the religious view of Guru Nanak..."}}


See also [[Mool Mantar]], [[Japji Sahib Ji|Japji Sahib Step by Step]] and [[Japji Sahib in Gurmukhi]] (Beta Test}
==Miracle of Japji==
[[Image:SGGS p1.jpg|thumb|250px|right|<small>An exquisitely illuminated page from one of the Guru Granth Sahib manuscripts at the Sikh Reference Library, showing the Mool Mantar and the beginning of the Japji Sahib Bani</small>]]


The Japji, and in particular the [[Mool Mantar]], is a compilation which has freed humanity from thousands of years of superstition that had gripped their psyche of many common people.  It is humanity's declaration of independence from soothsayers, yogis, priests, traditions, etc, whose validity had never been questioned. It is a direct communication between the human and master; it opened and established the communication path for this direct and close link of humanity with spirituality. It is a magical compilation which the Sikhs believe has not been equalled elsewhere.


'''Japji Sahib Step by Step''' Click on any of the highlighted options 1 to 38 or M for Mool Mantar or S for Salok:
All the falsehood in the name of religion that hitherto had been accepted as "ultimate truths" was challenged in the stanzas of the Japji.  All rituals, practices, empty recitations of meaningless [[mantra]]s, etc. has been accurately and summarily denounced as worthless.  The Japji, places [[Waheguru]]/[[God]] above the most powerful of the gods from other mythology domains.  However, it goes further and explains the infinite characters of Waheguru and Nanak, himself admits to being unable to describe the indescribable Waheguru.


{{Japji Sahib Menu}}
The Japji, is scientifically accurate:


----
Jo kich payee so ekaa vaar <br>
whatever is stored, was put once for all, enough for ever <br>
which is another way of saying, Matter can neither be created nor destroyed. <br>


[[Image:Moolmantar guruarjan.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Mool Mantar in the handwriting of Guru Arjan Dev ji]]
The Japji, claims the existence of other worlds and planets, a concept that had not been entertained in the World at the time of its writing.


The miracle of Japji, happens when one embraces its message and is thus enabled to experience heaven (oneness with Waheguru) while still on this planet.


==A personal account==
An edited account of a personal experience of the miraculous power of Japji, as published in the  [http://www.aquariantimes.com/ www.aquariantimes.com Aquarian times]


==English Translation==
'''The story of one woman who was transformed at a cellular level by the sound current of Japji Sahib'''


* Please note that Gurbani in general is gender neutral when referring to God - So when translating into English, this gender-neutral stand has been impossible to maintain as the English language tends to be more gender-specific in this respect. So the reader is asked to adjust for this in their mind when reading the translation! (God in Sikhism is gender neutral and is referred to in Gurbani as both male & female)
Late one summer night in June 2003, unable to sleep, I sat at my computer listening to audio clips from a spiritual music website.  I clicked on a [[Gurmukhi]] version of the [[Mul Mantra]] from a list of options available from the compilation of Japji by a male artist. During the few moments it took for him to sing this [[mantar]] in his resonant voice, what felt like a great far-reaching awakening began within me.


I thought to myself, "This is the most beautiful music I have ever heard," and while I "knew" that I had never heard it before, it felt familiar to me. This was my first personal encounter with Japji Sahib. I felt like I had found a precious jewel that I had forgotten I had. Re-encountering brought an instant, gentle, and complete breaking open of my heart. I began to cry. I played that 60 second audio clip over and over again, and sang with it, and cried, while my mind wondered vaguely in the background, "What does this mean?"


===The Mool Mantar & Hymns 1,2 & 3===
==What do the words say?==


<b>
Something about the artist’s singing of this particular mantra pierced me to my core. “What is this Japji?” I thought, “and if this one portion of it is so powerful, what dynamic is contained in its entirety?" I knew that I needed to explore this experience further.
*There is Only One God
*Truth is His Name
*He is the Creator, Protector, Without Fear, No Enmity, The First Entity, Without Incarnations, Self-perpetuating; With the Guru’s grace: Recite!
*True in the beginning, True Through the Ages, True even now and says Nanak will be True in the future |1|


I immediately ordered the CD of this [[Bani]]. When the CDs arrived in the mail, I immediately put on a pair of headphones and listened to the 45-minute Gurmukhi version. I wept my way through it. I found my mouth forming the sounds though I had no idea what the sounds might be and certainly no idea of what the words might mean in English.


</b>
But I found myself thinking, "Even though I have no idea what he’s saying, I know what he’s saying." (On a level far beyond left-brain comprehension and literal understanding of dictionary definitions, I knew the beauty and the grace and the transformative power of that sound current.)


<h3>Hymn 1</h3>
Initially I deliberately chose not to question or analyze the way that this bani instantly took up residence within me. I knew that intellectual objections would arise, stemming from the fact that I had been studying Kriya Yoga since 1995 and had in fact been ordained as a swami in an order established by Paramahansa Yogananda.  
<b>
*By thinking and thinking again a hundred thousand times, one cannot find a solution.
*By being quiet, peace cannot be found even if poised deep in meditation forever.
*The hunger of the hungry cannot be quenched if food is carried as baggage.
*One may possess a hundred thousand clever ideas, but even one will not accompany him/her*.
*Then, How can one be purified? How can one throw away the falsehood? Says Nanak, By Abiding by the Command of God, which is written along with everyone! |1|</b>


<h3>Hymn 2</h3>
==I had found my medicine ==
<b>
*By Your Command entities are formed. Your Command cannot be predicted.
*With your Command one obtains respect and is praised.
*By Your Command Ups & Downs occur. With Your Command is written suffering and happiness.
*Without Your Command no one is blessed. With your Command one lives in perpetual migrations.
*Everyone in Within Your Command, None is outside His Order.
*Says Nanak, “Whosoever realizes Your Command, Never speaks in ego.” ||2||</b>


<h3>Hymn 3</h3>
I had studied [[Sanskrit]] and spent a great deal of my time in meditation chanting in Sanskrit. My immersion in Sanskrit mantra had helped me recover from a debilitating bout with chronic fatigue that had begun in 1994 and lasted for seven long and painful years. So part of my discomfort revolved around the idea that I "should" continue spiritual practices within "my own" tradition.
<b>
*Many sing of His power, who has that power. Many sing of the Gift, who knows the sign.
*Many sing of virtues, praises and greatness. Many sing of knowledge, wisdom and understanding.
*Many sing about how He creates and destroys. Many sing about how He takes life and then restores it.
*Many sing, chant and see far. Many sing that He watches, is ever-present one-on-one.
*There is no shortage of those who preach and teach.   
*Millions upon millions offer millions of sermons and stories.    
*The Great Giver keeps on giving, the receivers grow weary of receiving.   
*Throughout the ages, the consumers keep on consuming.   
*The Commander, by His Command, leads us to walk on the Path.   
*O Nanak, only He blossoms forth, carefree and untroubled. ||3||</b>


===Hymn 4,5 & 6:===
By the time I discovered Japji in June 2003, I had been trying for 3 1/2 years to come to terms with [[wikipedia:fibromyalgia|fibromyalgia]]. I had repeatedly altered and curtailed my physical activities, trying to find that magic level at which I could remain active without provoking continuous and excruciating pain. It eluded me.  
<h3>Hymn 4</h3>
<b>
*True Master, True is His Name - Meditate it with utmost humility and deep love.
*Ask and plead, "Give, give" - The Giver gives in abundance.
*What can we place before Him, by which the Darbaar can be seen?
*What words can our mouth utter, listening to which His Love is gained?
*In the Ambrosial period, dwell upon His True Name and praises.
*With good past karmas, this robe is obtained, By His Grace, the Gate of Liberation is found.
*O Nanak, know this well: Everything is in the Righteous Lord!||4||</b>


<h3>Hymn 5</h3>
I had taken several private sessions with a wonderful instructor to learn Kundalini Yoga sets specifically designed to correct the internal imbalances related to fibromyalgia and fatigue. I wanted very much to be consistent with these practices, but my body was not capable of doing them on a regular basis. When I had finally regained enough energy and vitality to begin moving in and through my life again in 2000, fibromyalgia symptoms flared up with full force and incapacitated me in a new way. Finally in 2002 I stopped everything, altogether.
<b>
*He cannot be established; By doing it cannot be done.
*He Himself is Immaculate and Pure. Whoever serves Him receives honor.
*O Nanak sing - "Only Lord has endless Virtues". Sing, listen, and keep your mind humble.
*For your pains, take home every peace.
*The Guru’s Word is the Sound-current, wisdom of the Vedas and remains the ultimate protector.
*The Guru is Shiva, Gorak and Brahma; the Guru is Paarvati and Lakhshmi.
*Even knowing Him, I cannot describe Him; He is beyond description in words.
*The Guru has extinguished this doubt: All creatures have only the one God – May I never forget this!||5||</b>


<h3>Hymn 6</h3>
==The pain was taken away==
<b>
[[Image:Moolmantar guruarjan.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Mool Mantar in the handwriting of Guru Arjan Dev ji]]
*If by bathing at holy places, He could be obtained, Without His Blessing one cannot get there
*I gaze upon His Creation: without good karmas, what will they receive?
*Within the mind are gems, jewels and rubies, when the Sikh listens to the One Guru.
*The Guru has extinguished this doubt: All creatures have only the one God – May I never forget this!||6||</b>


===Hymn 7 to 11===
During the course of a year the pain decreased, eventually allowing me once again to sleep though the night. By the summer of 2003 I felt "plateaued"- happy to have reached a relatively pain-free resting place, but also stuck there. Tentative attempts at walking more than a block or two or doing gentle yoga caused rumblings below the surface which signalled that the volcano of pain could be activated with little provocation, and I was very resistant to triggering that cycle again. I thought I needed to commit myself again to intense japa (reciting), but didn’t feel drawn to any particular Sanskrit mantra.
<h3>Hymn 7</h3>
<b>
*Even if you lived the four ages, or even ten times more,
*and even if you were known throughout the nine continents and everyone followed you,
*with a good name and reputation, the whole world sang your praises –
*still, if you do not please the Lord, no one will ask about you!
*Among worms, you would be considered a lowly worm, and even contemptible sinners would hold you in contempt.
*O Nanak, He makes unworthy, worthy and gives virtues to the virtuous.
*I know of no other who can grant so much to others!||7||</b>


<h3>Hymn 8</h3>
Such was my state of affairs when I visited the spiritual music website and clicked on the Japji audio clip. I knew instantly, without even thinking it, that I had found the mantra that I needed - or that it had found me. I knew that it resonated in me and that I resonated with it and that chanting it was going to change my molecular structure - was going to literally rearrange my DNA, transform me at a cellular level, and gradually move me up and off the plateau I was resting on.  
<b>
*Listening - the saints, priests, warriors and recluse. Listening - the earth, its support and sky.   
*Listening - the oceans, lands of the world and the nether regions. Listening - Death cannot even touch you.  
*O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss. Listening - pain and sin are erased.||8|| </b>


<h3>Hymn 9</h3>
==Intuitive and instant connection ==
<b>
I knew all of this within the first minute of hearing the audio clip-knew it completely and wholly as though someone had pressed an imprint of its truth on my third eye and I had absorbed it without needing to mentally process it. I had a fairly good idea of what my "logical" objections to pursuing this path might be, and I didn’t want to give them precedence. I wanted to have the experience first and then judge it, rather than pass a judgment which would keep me from having the experience.
*Listening - Shiva, Brahma and Indra. Listening - even foul-mouthed people praise Him.
*Listening - the technology of Yoga and the secrets of the body. Listening – the Holy Books, Philosophy and the Vedas.
*O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss. Listening-pain and sin are erased.||9||</b>


<h3>Hymn 10</h3>
In June 2004, I attended the [[Naad]] of Japji workshop in New Mexico, USA. The concentrated immersion in the sound current accelerated my physical healing in a way that I couldn’t have imagined. At this point in my life it had been over two years since I had engaged in any type of regular physical activity. One day during the Japji course we were asked to do a meditation that involved holding our arms over our heads for 11 minutes.  
<b>
*Listening - truth, contentment and spiritual wisdom.  Listening -  bathe at the sixty-eight holy places.
*Listening - reading and reciting, honor is obtained. Listening – one attains sure dedication.
*O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss. Listening-pain and sin are erased. ||10||</b>


<h3>Hymn 11</h3>
I thought, "I can’t even hold my arms over my head for 11 seconds because my muscles are so weak, and even if I could, the pain would be unbearable." And then I thought, "That might not be true anymore. Let’s test it." I did the meditation for 11 minutes. My arms were strong enough. And although it was somewhat painful, it was the predictable pain of the nervous system adjusting and the muscles working. At that moment I knew I was on my way off that plateau.
<b>
*Listening - dive deep into the ocean of virtue. Listening - the religious scholars, spiritual teachers and emperors.
*Listening - even the blind find the Path. Listening - the Unreachable comes within grasp.
*O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss.  Listening-pain and sin are erased. ||11|| </b>


===Hymn 12 to 15===
==The miracle continued==
<h3>Hymn 12</h3>
When I returned to Chicago after the Japji course, I designed a "Return to Exercise" program for myself and repeatedly renewed my 40-day commitment to chant Japji. In June 2005 I returned to New Mexico centre for more Japji! By this time I was able to engage in some sort of cardiovascular exercise for an hour at a time, four or five days a week, at a moderate to intense level, as well as lift weights three times a week.  
<b>
*The state of the Believer cannot be described.  
*The One who tries shall regret the attempt.
*Neither paper nor pen can narrate.
*Many study the concept of faith.
*Such personality obtains purity.
*If one mind understands another’s mind.||12||</b>


<h3>Hymn 13</h3>
I was also getting out of bed consistently at 4:00 a.m. for sadhana, and I had gradually increased the amount of time I spent at my job to 40 hours weekly-something I had not been physically capable of doing since 1995. In New Mexico, I was able to participate in group sadhana, which I had not been able to do the previous summer.
<b>
*With faith, awareness and enlightenment is obtained.
*With faith, all types of realms are understood.
*The faithful does not face trouble.
*The faithful do not go with the Messenger of Death.
*Such personality obtains purity.
*If one mind understands another’s mind.||13||</b>


<h3>Hymn 14</h3>
It’s now June 2006. I’m still chanting Japji every day. I’m also attending a weekly Kundalini Yoga class, doing a yoga set in my own morning sadhana, and preparing to take Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training in the fall!
<b>
*The path of the faithful is never blocked.
*The faithful shall depart with honor and fame.
*The faithful do not follow empty religious rituals.
*The faithful are firmly bound to the Dharma.
*Such personality obtains purity.
*If one mind understands another’s mind.||14||</b>


<h3>Hymn 15</h3>
It has been a great blessing to be engaged in a transformative relationship with Japji Sahib, and to discover through experience that “at the root of all there is only the One.”
<b>
*The faithful find the Door of Liberation.
*The faithful uplift and redeem their family and relations.
*The faithful are saved, together with the Sikhs of the Guru.
*The faithful, O Nanak, do not wander around begging.
*Such personality obtains purity.
*If one mind understands another’s mind.||15||</b>


===Hymn 16===
==Learning Japji ==
<b>
*The chosen are accepted and preside.
*The chosen are honored in the Court of the Lord.
*The chosen look beautiful in the courts of kings.
*The chosen meditate single-mindedly on the Guru.
*What is said, mediate on this thought.
*the actions of the Creator cannot be counted.
*Bull, the Dharma, is the son of compassion;
*Contentment patiently holds it in its place.
*One who understands becomes pure.
*What is the great load on the bull?
*There is another world, then many, more and more!
*Who holds their weight in balance with this force?
*Beings, species, colors have names
*were all inscribed by the Almighty’s Pen.
*This written account is only known to a few?
*How massive is this written account?
*What awesome power, fascinating beauty!
*Whose wonderful gifts! Who can know their limit?
*He created the Universe with One Word!
*Within it flow hundreds of thousands of rivers.
*Think about the mighty Creative Potency?
*I cannot even begin to describe You.
*Whatever pleases You, All will be blessed,
*You always protect us, Formless One!||16||</b>


===Hymn 17 to 18===
At '''[[Japji Sahib Ji|Japji Sahib Step by Step]]''' you can read and listen to Japji in [[Gurmukhi]]/[[Punjabi]]. The [[Bani]] is written in Roman script and it has translation in English. Click on any of the highlighted options 1 to 38 or M for [[Mool Mantar]] or S for [[Salok]] and you will be able to listen and also read this beautiful [[Bani]].
<h3>Hymn 17</h3>
<b>
*Countless mediate, countless yearn.
*Countless worship, countless exercise self-restrain.
*Countless recite granths and Vedas prayers.
*Countless Yogis detached their minds from the world.
*Countless devotees contemplate the Virtues and Wisdoms
*Countless sacrifice; countless donate.
*Countless warriors, face attack head on.
*Countless in silence, focus their thoughts.
*Think about the mighty Creative Potency?
*I cannot even begin to describe You.
*Whatever pleases You, All will be blessed,
*You always protect us, Formless One!||17||</b>


<h3>Hymn 18</h3>
==See also==
<b>
*Countless fools, blinded by ignorance.
*Countless thieves and cheaters.
*Countless impose their will by force.
*Countless cut-throats and gather sins.
*Countless sinners who keep on sinning.
*Countless liars, wander lost in their lies.
*Countless wretches, eat filth for food.
*Countless slanders, make their heads heavy.
*Lowly Nanak, gives this explanation.
*I cannot even begin to describe You.
*Whatever pleases You, All will be blessed,
*You always protect us, Formless One!||18||</b>


===Hymn 19 to 20===
* [[Mool Mantar]]
<h3>Hymn 19</h3>
* [[Learn all of Japji Sahib|Japji Sahib Step by Step ''newer version'']]
<b>
* [[Japji Sahib Ji|Japji Sahib Step by Step]]
*Countless names, countless places.
* [[Mool Mantar and its Perception]]
*Inaccessible, unapproachable, countless celestial bodies.
* [[Learn Gurbani]]
*Even to call them countless is to carry weight on your head.
* [[Japji in English]]
*The Word brings Naam; the Word brings Praise.
* [[Japji in Roman text]]
*The Word brings wisdom and the singing of songs of His Glory.
* [[Japji in Gurmukhi]]
*The Word brings the written and spoken words and hymns.
* [http://sikhs.nl/downloads%20french.htm Japji in French]
*The Word brings destiny written on one's forehead.
* [http://sikhs.nl/Japjisahib.htm Japji in Dutch / Nederlands ]
*But Writer of the destiny – None are written on His Forehead.
* [[Japji memory aid]]
*As He proclaims, so do we receive.
* [[Japji Sahib in Gurmukhi|Japji in Gurmukhi with links to meanings]]
*Whatever You do, its in Your Name.
* [[Japji sahib translation]]
*Without Your Name, there is no place at all.
*Think about the mighty Creative Potency?
*I cannot even begin to describe You.
*Whatever pleases You, All will be blessed,
*You always protect us, Formless One!||19||</b>


<h3>Hymn 20</h3>
===Downloads===
<b>
* [http://www.sikhiwiki.org/images/a/a3/%E0%A8%9C%E0%A8%AA%E0%A9%81_%E0%A8%9C%E0%A9%80_%E0%A8%B8%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%B9%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%AC.ppt Download Powerpoint file]
*Hands, feet and the body that are polluted,
* [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aic.japjisahib Japji Sahib - Android Apps on Google Play]
*With water the dirt can be washed away.
* Japji Sahib International - iPhone and iPad App on AppStore
*Clothes that are soiled and stained by urine,
----
*With soap they can be washed clean.
* [http://www.sikhiwiki.org/images/b/bf/Japji_sahib_ji.pdf Download Japji sahib in Original Gurmukhi only (Blue background) in pdf format]
*When the intellect is stained and polluted by sin,
* [http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Image:Japji_sahib_gurmukhi_v1.pdf Download Japji sahib in Original Gurmukhi only (white background) in pdf format]
*That can be cleansed by the Color of the [[Naam]].
* [http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Image:Japji_sahib_GRE_v1.pdf Download Japji sahib in Original Gurmukhi, Roman transliteration and English translation in pdf format]
*Virtue and vice do not come by mere words;
* [http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Image:Japji_sahib.pdf Download Japji sahib in Original Gurmukhi, Roman transliteration and English translation in pdf format]
*actions repeated, again and again, are engraved on the soul.
* [http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/File:Japji_sahib_-_GRE_%E2%80%93_Divided_by_Pauris_and_pages_%E2%80%93_v1.pdf Download Japji sahib in Original Gurmukhi, Roman transliteration and English translation divided by each Pauri (in pdf format)]
*What you plant is what you shall harvest.
----
*O Nanak, by God's Command, we come and go.||20||</b>


===Hymn 21 to 22===
* [http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Image:Japji_sahib_gurmukhi_v1.doc Download Japji sahib in Original Gurmukhi only in word doc format]
<h3>Hymn 21</h3>
* [http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Image:Japji_sahib_GRE_v1.doc Download Japji sahib in Original Gurmukhi, Roman transliteration and English translation in word doc format]
<b>
*Pilgrimages, austere discipline, compassion and charity
*these, by themselves, bring only an iota of merit.
*By listening and believing bring humility in your mind;
*Within the sacred inner shrine, cleanse your mind.
*Lord, all virtues are Yours, none are mine.
*Without good deeds, there is no worship.
*Forever vibrate the Bani of Brahma.
*O Mind, forever seek the Companionship of Truth.
*What is that time, that moment? What is that day, that date?
*What is that season, that month, when the Universe was created?
*The Pandits, who have the writings of the Puraans, cannot provide this time.
*The time is not known to the Qazis, who study the Koran.
*The day and date are not known to the Yogis, nor is the month or the season.
*The Creator who created this creation only He Himself knows.
*How does one describe or give an opinion of Him or praise or get to know Him?
*Nanak, everyone speaks of Him, one wiser than the next!
*The Great Master with a Great Name by His doing - everything happens.
*O Nanak, one who thinks he knows all, shall not move forwarded. ||21||</b>


<h3>Hymn 22</h3>
==External Links==
<b>
*Planets upon planets and hundreds of thousands of skies upon skies.
*Forever and ever, one can search until one grows tired, the Vedas say one thing;
*The scriptures speak of 18,000 worlds, in reality there is only One Universe.
*If one had the knowledge, one could write the account, but it could not be finished.
*Nanak, call Him Great, for He Himself knows all. ||22||</b>


===Hymn 23 to 24===
===Video links===
<h3>Hymn 23</h3>
<b>
*The praiser’s praise Him, but this is not how understanding is obtained!
*The streams and rivers entering the ocean do not know its vastness.
*Ocean sized kingdoms owners with mountains of material wealth.
*Even an ant outweighs them, if the Lord doesn’t dwell in their mind. ||23||
</b>


<h3>Hymn 24</h3>
* [http://www.sikhvideos.org/ik-onkar Holy Recitation and Meaning of Mool Mantar and Ik Onkar]
<b>
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMEv0_6dTA4 Beautiful recital of JAPJI SAHIB - RECITE ALONG - WORDS OF AKAL 34 min - Read, listen, understand and recite]
*Countless don’t Praise Him; Countless don’t speak.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYayqWne3Mg Japji Sahib - Sikh Prayer - Read, listen, understand and recite 19.2 mins]
*Countless don’t act; Countless don’t give.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYayqWne3Mg Japji Sahib - Sikh Prayer]
*Countless don’t see Him; Countless don’t listen.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X87PbAkhspE Nitnem (Jap Ji Sahib) - line-by-line video translation]
*Countless don’t worship Him, What’s in their mind?
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubp4MUcLZ0M Japji Sahib by WorldGurudwara.com- Read Along: Part 1] [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4eTZ1JpFXIM Part 2]
*Countless don’t realise the doings of the Almighty.  
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE71NkSfmBk Japji Sahib - in Hindi, Urdu and English]
*Countless don’t know of His scope and presence.
*Countless yearn and struggle to know His limits,
*but His limits cannot be found.
*No one knows these Limits.
*The more you describe, the more there is to be known.
*Great is the Master high is His status.
*Highest of the High, and still higher is His Name.
*Only a few can get this high,
*His Lofty and Exalted state is only known by them.
*How Great He is? Only He knows Himself.
*Nanak, only by His Grace and Doing do we receive His Gifts. ||24||</b>


===Hymn 25===
===Audio links===
<b>
*[https://www.sikhroots.com/audio-mp3/j/bhai-jarnail-singh/nitnem/japji-sahib Japji Sahib - Bhai Jarnail Singh (Damdami Taksaal)]
*His doings are beyond our written record.
*[https://www.sikhroots.com/audio-mp3/d/damdami-taksaal/nitnem/japji-sahib-fast Japji Sahib in 10 Minutes]
*The Great Giver does not hold anything back.
*[https://www.sikhroots.com/audio-mp3/n/bhai-niranjan-singh/japji-sahib-and-rehraas-sahib/japji-sahib Japji Sahib - Bhai Niranjan Singh]
*Where will the great warriors beg?
*[http://www.sikhiwiki.org/images/f/f8/JapjiSahib.mp3 JapjiSahib.mp3 - Download 1.826M or Play 15.34 min]
*So many do not contemplate or dwell upon Him.
*[http://sikhsangeet.com/albumid196-Sant-Singh-Maskeen-Japji-Sahib-Veechaar.html Sant Singh Maskeen - Japji Sahib Veechaar]
*How many in pain break and waste away?
*[http://sikhsangeet.com/albumid298-Darshan-Singh-(Dhakki-Sahib-Wale)-Taksali-Nitnem.html Darshan Singh (Dhakki Sahib Wale) - Taksali Nitnem - Japjee Sahib]
*How many keep taking over and over again, and then deny it?
*[http://sikhsangeet.com/albumid228-Harbans-Singh-(Jagadhari-Wale)-Nitnem.html Harbans Singh (Jagadhari Wale) - Nitnem - Japji Sahib]
*How many fools keep continuously consuming?
*[http://sikhsangeet.com/albumid220-Jarnail-Singh-Damdami-Taksal-Nitnem.html Jarnail Singh - Damdami Taksal Nitnem - Sri Jap Ji Sahib]
*So many endure pain, deprivation and constant abuse.
*[http://sikhsangeet.com/albumid575-Rajnarind-Kaur-Bani-Pro-1.html Rajnarind Kaur - Bani Pro 1]
*Even these are Your Gifts, Great Giver!
*Liberation from bondage comes only by Your Will.
*No one else has any say in this.
*If some fool should say otherwise,
*he certainly will have to eat his words.
*He Himself knows, He Himself gives.
*Few, very few acknowledge this.
*One, who is blessed to sing His Praises
*Nanak, is the king of kings. ||25||</b>


=== Hymn 26 ===
=== Text of Japji Sahib ===
<b>
*Priceless are Virtues, Priceless are Dealings.
*Priceless are Dealers, Priceless are Treasures.
*Priceless are the comings; Priceless are taken away.
*Priceless is Love for Him, Priceless are absorbed.
*Priceless is Dharma, Priceless is His Court.
*Priceless are the scales priceless are the weights.
*Priceless are His Blessings, Priceless is the Banner and Insignia.
*Priceless is His Mercy, Priceless is His Royal Command.
*Priceless, O Priceless beyond expression!
*By repeating continually remain absorbed in His Love.
*The Vedas and Puraanas speak.
*The scholars speak and lecture.
*Brahma speaks Indra speaks.
*The Gopis and Krishna speak.
*Shiva speaks the Siddhas speak.
*The many created Buddhas speak.
*The demons speak the demi-gods speak.
*The warriors, the heavenly beings, the silent sages, the humble [[Sewadar]]s speak.
*Many say He is obtained by speaking.
*Many having spoken over and over have arisen and departed.
*Having done all this, have it done again;
*even then, they could not describe Him.
*Whatever the Great one desires so shall transpire.
*O Nanak, Only the True Lord knows.
*If anyone presumes to describe God,
*he shall be known as the greatest fool of fools! ||26||</b>


=== Hymn 27 to 29 ===
*[http://srec.gurmat.info/srecarticles/srigurugranthsahib/japjisahib.html Japji Sahib Gurmukhi, English Translation and Transliteration]
<h3>Hymn 27</h3>
*[http://allaboutsikhs.com/prayers/jupji/ Audio & Written Display from AllaboutSikhs.com]
<b>
*[http://www.punjabonline.com/sikhism/japtr_fr.html  Written text of Japji Sahib]


*What is that Place like? What is the House like? Where that Lord resides?
*Numerous Sound-current vibrate simultaneously - Where are the musicians?
*So many melodious Ragas are sung – Where are the singers?
*Singing for You are the wind, water and fire; the King Dharma sings at Your Door.
*Chitr and Gupt, the angels of the conscious and the subconscious who record actions sing; Dharma keeps writing and then thinks.
*Sing, Shiva, Brahma and the Goddess of Beauty, fully decorated.
*Sing, Indra, seated upon His Throne, with the deities at Your Door.
*Sing, Yogis in their posture/trance; the holy priests in contemplation.
*Sing, celibates, fanatics and the peacefully; Sing, the fearless warriors.
*Sing, Pandits, the religious scholars who have studies the Vedas for many ages.
*Sing, Mohinis, the enticer of hearts in this world, in paradise, and in the underworld of the subconscious.
*Sing, celestial jewels created by You, and the sixty-eight holy places of pilgrimage.
*Sing, brave and mighty warriors, Sing, the four sources of creation.
*Sing, the planets, solar systems and galaxies, created and arranged by Your Hand.
*Only those alone sing, who yearn for You, Your immersed and purified [[Bhagat]]s.
*Who else sings? They do not come to mind. O Nanak, What can be considered?
*He and only He, the True Lord is always True and True is His Name.
*He is, and shall always be. He shall never depart - the Creator of the Universe.
*He created the world, with its various colors, species of beings, and the variety of Maya.
*Having created the creation, He watches over it Himself, by His Greatness.
*He does whatever He pleases. No order can be issued to Him.
*He is the King - the King of kings. Nanak remains submissive to His Will. ||27||</b>


<h3>Hymn 28</h3>
===Other Links===
<b>
*Make contentment your ear-rings, humility your begging bowl and meditation the body ash.
*The thought of death; aspiration of the bride to be; and faith in the Lord be your walking stick.
*Come as a traveller; All are fellow students; conquer your mind, and conquer the world.
*Salutation! My humbly salutation to You.
*The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end. Throughout time you remain same. ||28||</b>


<h3>Hymn 29</h3>
*[https://www.sikhroots.com/japji-sahib Japji Sahib - Information & Downloads on SikhRoots.com]
<b>
* [http://www.punjabonline.com/sikhism/japtr_fr.html  Japji Sahib Original, English Transliteration, Punjabi & English Translation]
* [http://www.sikhs.org/japji/japji.htm Japji Sahib Original, English Translation and Transliteration]]
* [http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=1 Gurbani by SriGranth.com]
* [http://www.sikhitothemax.com/page.asp?SourceID=G&PageNo=1 Gurbani by Sikhitothe Max.com]
* [http://www.sikhnet.com/s/ReadBanisOnline Read Jap Ji Sahib Online]
* [http://www.sikhmarg.com/japji/japji01.html Japji Sahib in Gurmukhi]
* [http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/jap-ji-sahib/ Japji Sahib Contemporary Translations in English]
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/skh/tsr1/tsr121.htm Sacred-texts.com] English translation
* [http://www.sikhnet.com/s/JapjiSahib sikhnet.com] Post-Modern Translation of Japji Sahib
* [http://personal.carthage.edu/jlochtefeld/sikh/japji.htm Japji by James G. Lochtefeld]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q7AJM3ml_E Video learning - Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul]


*Make wisdom your food and compassion your attendant; The Sound-current vibrates in each and every heart.
==== Suggested Reading ====
*You are Supreme Lord of all; wealth and miraculous spiritual powers are the tastes of others.
'''1. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2015/04/japji-english-translation-sher-singh.html Japji (English Translation) - Sher Singh MSc Kashmir]'''
*Union and separation both drive the world; only our destiny matters.
*Salutation! My humbly salutation to You.
*The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end. Throughout time you remain same. ||29|||</b>


=== Hymn 30 to 33 ===
'''2. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2015/02/jap-ji-sahib-vyakhya-vichar-darshan.html Jap Ji Sahib - Vyakhya, Vichar Darshan atey Kala - Dr. Gurcharan Singh Mehta]'''
<h3>Hymn 30</h3>
<b>
*The One Divine Mother conceived and gave birth to the three deities.
*One the Creator of the World; One the Sustainer; and One the Destroyer.
*Whatever He wishes, He makes to happen according to His Command.
*He watches all, but none see Him! How mysterious is this?
*Salutation! My humbly salutation to You.
*The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end. Throughout time you remain same. ||30||</b>


<h3>Hymn 31</h3>
'''3. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2014/01/japji-viyakhya-dey-prasang-vich.html Japji Viyakhya dey Prasang vich Rajneesh di Asliyat - Dr. Karamjeet Singh]'''
<b>
*World upon world are His Seats of Authority and His Stores.
*Whatever was put into them, was put there once and for all.
*Having created the Universe, He watches over it.
*Nanak, This is the True Creator’s True Creation.
*Salutation! My humbly salutation to You.
*The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end. Throughout time you remain same. ||31||</b>


<h3>Hymn 32</h3>
'''4. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-japji-guru-nanak-devs-master-key.html The Japji - Guru Nanak Dev's Master Key-Holy To The Mystery Of Deification Of Man - Sher Singh MSc Kashmir]'''
<b>
*From the one tongue, if I had 100,000 tongues, and these were then multiplied by twenty more.
*I would repeat, hundreds of thousands of times, the One Name of the Creator.  
*Tread this path to our Husband Lord, climbing these steps one merges with Him.
*Hearing of talks of the cosmos, even worms want to compete.
*Nanak, Only by His Grace is He obtained. The boastings of the false are a sham. ||32||</b>


<h3>Hymn 33</h3>
The book: "The Japji - Guru Nanak Dev's Master Key-Holy To The Mystery Of Deification Of Man" was published by Bhai Sher Singh, MSc, Kashmir on August 1, 1950.
<b>
*Uttering brings power; silence brings no power.
*Power is not gained by begging; giving doesn’t bring power.
*Power is not gained by living; death doesn’t bring power.
*Power is not gained by ruling with wealth and occult mental powers.
*Power is not gained by understanding, spiritual wisdom and meditation.
*Power is not gained by finding a way to escape from the world.
*In whose Hand the Power is, He watches over all.
*O Nanak, no one is high or low. ||33||
</b>


=== Hymn 34 to 35===
'''5. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2017/08/japuji-exegesis-and-poetic-rendering-dr.html Japuji Exegesis and Poetic Rendering - Dr. S.S. Bhatti]'''
<h3>Hymn 34</h3>
<b>
*Nights, days, weeks and seasons;
*wind, water, fire and the nether regions
*in the midst of these, He established the earth as a home for Dharma.
*Upon it, He placed creatures of various colors.
*Their names are uncountable and endless.
*By their [[karam]]s and deeds will they be judged.
*God Himself is True, and True is His Court.
*There, in perfect grace sit the elect Controllers.
*Through blessed Karmas, they receive their Mark.
*The ripe and the unripe shall be judged there.
*O Nanak, those go there who have worshipped. ||34||
</b>


<h3>Hymn 35</h3>
'''6. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2018/12/translation-of-japji-m-macauliffe.html Translation of the Japji - M. Macauliffe]'''
<b>
*The Kingdom of Dharma has set rules.
*Speak of the qualities of the realm of knowledge.
*So many winds, waters and fires; so many Krishnas and Shivas
*So many Brahmas fashioning forms of great beauty, adorned and dressed in many colors.
*So many worlds and lands for working out karma. So very many lessons to be learned!
*So many Indras, so many moons and suns, so many worlds and lands.
*So many Siddhas and Buddhas, so many Yogic masters. So many goddesses of various kinds.
*So many demi-gods and demons, so many silent sages. So many oceans of jewels.
*So many ways of life, so many languages. So many dynasties of rulers.
*So many intuitive people, so many selfless servants. O Nanak, Limitless is His limit! ||35||
</b>


=== Hymn 36 to 37===
'''7. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2018/12/sri-japji-darpan-amarjit-singh-dhawan.html Sri Japji Darpan - Amarjit Singh Dhawan]'''
<h3>Hymn 36</h3>
<b>
*In the realm of wisdom, spiritual wisdom reigns supreme.
*The Sound current vibrates amidst the sounds and the sights of bliss.
*In the realm of humility the beautiful Bani regins.
*Forms of incomparable beauty are created and fashioned there.
*These things cannot be described.
*One who tries to speak of these shall regret the attempt.
*The intuitive consciousness, intellect and understanding of the mind are shaped there.
*The consciousness of the spiritual warriors and the beings of spiritual perfection, are shaped there. ||36||
</b>


<h3>Hymn 37</h3>
'''8. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-japji-ha-guru-nanaks-honey-sher.html The Japji - Ha! Guru Nanak's Honey!! - Sher Singh MSc Kashmir]'''
<b>
*In the realm of karma, the [[Bani]] is Power.
*Nothing else can prevail here.
*The warriors of great power and immense courage.
*In whom [[Ram]] dwells and is infused completely.
*Myriads of [[Sita]]s are there, cool and calm in their majestic glory,
*Their physical features are beyond description.
*Neither do they die nor can they be robbed,
*within whose minds the Lord Ram resides.
*The devotees of many worlds dwell there.
*They are in bliss; the True Lord dwells in their minds.
*In the realm of Truth, the Formless Lord abides.
*Having created, He watches over the Creation bestowing Grace and happiness.
*There are planets, solar systems and galaxies.
*If one describes them, there is no limit, no end.
*There are worlds upon worlds of His Creation.
*As He commands, so they exist.
*He watches, contemplates and rejoices upon His Creation
*O Nanak, description is extremely difficult! ||37||
</b>


===Hymn 38 and Salok ===
'''9. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-japu-of-guru-nanak-sirdar-kapur.html The Japu of Guru Nanak - Sirdar Kapur Singh]'''
<b>
*Let self-control be the furnace, and patience the goldsmith.
*Let understanding be the anvil, and religion wisdom the tools.
*Fear of God the bellows; fan the flames of your body's inner heat.
*In the crucible of love, melt the Amrit Nectar of the [[Naam]],
*Forge the Shabad in the True mint.
*Whoever is showered with His Grace, karma of their actions excel.
*O Nanak, the Merciful Lord’s Glance uplifts and rescues them. ||38||
</b>


<h3>Salok</h3>
'''10. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-region-of-grace-sirdar-kapur-singh.html The Region of Grace - Sirdar Kapur Singh]'''
<b>
*Air is the Guru, Water is the Father, and Earth is the Great Mother of all.    
*Day and night are the two nurses, in whose lap the entire world is at play.    
*Good deeds and bad are announced in the Presence of Lord Dharma.   
*According to their own actions, some are drawn closer, and some are driven farther away.    
*Those who have meditated on the Naam have departed after having worked by the sweat of their brows 
*O Nanak, their faces are radiant in the Lord’s Court, and many are saved along with them! ||1|| </b>


'''11. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2019/10/sri-japu-nisan-kartar-singh-dakha.html Sri Japu Nisan - Kartar Singh Dakha]'''


* In Punjabi no gender qualities are assigned to God!
'''12. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2019/10/dua-e-sahari-japji-sahib-ka-urdu.html Dua-E-Sahari (Japji Sahib ka Urdu tarjuma) - Kartar Singh Kaimbalpuri]'''


==Audio Links==
'''13. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2019/10/vird-e-haq-translation-of-japji-sahib.html Vird-E-Haq (translation of Japji Sahib in Urdu verse) - Master Lal Singh Anand Khalsa]'''
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/upload/f/f8/JapjiSahib.mp3 JapjiSahib.mp3 - Download 1.826M or Play 15.34 min]
*[http://www.sikhnet.com/Sikhnet/Music.nsf/0/3d08ba69786458498725695b007bc843?OpenDocument Audio of Japji Sahib]
*[http://allaboutsikhs.com/prayers/jupji/ Audio & Written Display from AllaboutSikhs.com]


'''14. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2019/10/guru-nanaks-japji-and-sohila-arti-prof.html Guru Nanak's Japji and Sohila-Arti - Prof. Puran Singh]'''


==Other Links==
'''15. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2019/10/jap-vichar-japji-sahib-da-bahu-pakhi.html Jap Vichar - Japji Sahib da Bahu-Pakhi Adheyan - Prof. Prakash Singh]'''
* [http://www.punjabonline.com/sikhism/japtr_fr.html  Japji Sahib Original, English Transliteration, Punjabi & English Translation]
* [http://www.sikhs.org/japji/japji.htm Japji Sahib Original, English Translation and Transliteration]]
* [http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=1 Gurbani by SriGranth.com]
* [http://www.sikhitothemax.com/page.asp?SourceID=G&PageNo=1 Gurbani by Sikhitothe Max.com]
* [http://www.sikhnet.com/s/ReadBanisOnline Read Jap Ji Sahib Online]
* [http://www.sikhmarg.com/japji/japji01.html Japji Sahib in Gurmukhi]


'''16. [http://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2015/02/jap-ji-sahib-vyakhya-vichar-darshan.html Jap Ji Sahib - Vyakhya, Vichar Darshan atey Kala - Dr. Gurcharan Singh Mehta]'''


'''17. [https://sikhdigitallibrary.blogspot.com/2019/10/jap-vichar-tract-no-56.html Jap Vichar Tract No. 56]'''


{{Sikhi:stub}}




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{{banis}}
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{{Sikhism}}




[[Category:Glossary of Sikh Terms]] [[category:Bani]]
[[Category:Glossary of Sikh Terms]] [[category:Bani]]

Latest revision as of 06:52, 30 October 2019

A calligram of Guru Nanak Dev ji using Japji Sahib Bani, by Devinder Singh

Japji Sahib is the first sacred composition found in the main Sikh holy scripture called the Guru Granth Sahib. It is a famous and concise summary of the Sikh philosophy which was compiled by the founder of Sikhism and the first spiritual guide of the Sikhs known worldwide as Guru Nanak.

The composition consists of the Mool Mantar, an opening Salok or verse, a set of 38 Pauris or hymns, and a final closing Salok. This Bani called Japji Sahib, appears at the very beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib from Page 1 to Page 8 in the Holy Book of the Sikhs Nay! of Humanity. It is the most important Bani or 'set of verses' and is lovingly recited by all Sikhs every morning. The word ‘Jap’ means to ‘recite’/‘to ‘chant’/'to stay focused onto'. ‘Ji’ is a word that is used to show respect as is the word ‘Sahib’.

Introduction

This Bani was composed by the founder of the faith, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji who was the first of ten human Gurus of this faith. The Ten Gurus of Sikhism were responsible for the creation of this faith which took place over period 1469 to 1708 - a period of about 239 years.

At the point when the last of the Human Gurus departed this Earth, the Guruship was passed to the Holy Book, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS). The SGGS is treated as a living Guru and the respect shown for its Commandments is unique. This Bani (composition) encompasses the spirit and theme of whole of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

The collections of hymns of Sikh daily prayer are often compiled separately in a small book form called Gutkas or "Nitnem" (meaning daily prayer) Gutkas. All Nitnem Gutkas start with Japji Sahib and contain other Banis (hymns) as well.

The description of Japji Sahib that follows is taken from "The Encyclopedia of Sikhism" by Harbans Singh (published in 1996 by the Punjabi University, Patiala):

...Japji is the most riveting Sikh Prayer recited by the devout early in the morning. The composition is not assigned to any particular raga or musical measure, as is the rest of the Scriptural text...

"Japji is universally accepted to be the composition of Guru Nanak, the founding prophet of Sikhism, although, unlike other scriptural hymns and compositions, it remains anonymous without being credited individually to any of the Gurus..."

"Preceded by what is called Mool Mantar, the basic statement of creed, the Japu comprises an introductory sloka and 38 stanzas traditionally called pauree (steps) and a concluding Salok attributed by some to Guru Angad. The initial Salok too appears again in the Scripture as a preamble to the 17th Astapadi of Guru Arjan's famous composition Sukhmani, the Psalm of Peace. The entire composition including the Mool Mantar, two saloks and the thirty eight pauris form the sacred morning prayer Japji Sahib or “Japu Nisanu”. It serves as a prologue to the Scripture and encapsulates Guru Nanak's creed and philosophy, as a whole..."

"The message of the “Japu” is abiding in nature and universal in application. It simply describes the nature of Ultimate Reality and the way to comprehend it, and is not tied to any particular religious system. In a word it simply defines Sikhism, the religious view of Guru Nanak..."

Miracle of Japji

An exquisitely illuminated page from one of the Guru Granth Sahib manuscripts at the Sikh Reference Library, showing the Mool Mantar and the beginning of the Japji Sahib Bani

The Japji, and in particular the Mool Mantar, is a compilation which has freed humanity from thousands of years of superstition that had gripped their psyche of many common people. It is humanity's declaration of independence from soothsayers, yogis, priests, traditions, etc, whose validity had never been questioned. It is a direct communication between the human and master; it opened and established the communication path for this direct and close link of humanity with spirituality. It is a magical compilation which the Sikhs believe has not been equalled elsewhere.

All the falsehood in the name of religion that hitherto had been accepted as "ultimate truths" was challenged in the stanzas of the Japji. All rituals, practices, empty recitations of meaningless mantras, etc. has been accurately and summarily denounced as worthless. The Japji, places Waheguru/God above the most powerful of the gods from other mythology domains. However, it goes further and explains the infinite characters of Waheguru and Nanak, himself admits to being unable to describe the indescribable Waheguru.

The Japji, is scientifically accurate:

Jo kich payee so ekaa vaar
whatever is stored, was put once for all, enough for ever
which is another way of saying, Matter can neither be created nor destroyed.

The Japji, claims the existence of other worlds and planets, a concept that had not been entertained in the World at the time of its writing.

The miracle of Japji, happens when one embraces its message and is thus enabled to experience heaven (oneness with Waheguru) while still on this planet.

A personal account

An edited account of a personal experience of the miraculous power of Japji, as published in the www.aquariantimes.com Aquarian times

The story of one woman who was transformed at a cellular level by the sound current of Japji Sahib

Late one summer night in June 2003, unable to sleep, I sat at my computer listening to audio clips from a spiritual music website. I clicked on a Gurmukhi version of the Mul Mantra from a list of options available from the compilation of Japji by a male artist. During the few moments it took for him to sing this mantar in his resonant voice, what felt like a great far-reaching awakening began within me.

I thought to myself, "This is the most beautiful music I have ever heard," and while I "knew" that I had never heard it before, it felt familiar to me. This was my first personal encounter with Japji Sahib. I felt like I had found a precious jewel that I had forgotten I had. Re-encountering brought an instant, gentle, and complete breaking open of my heart. I began to cry. I played that 60 second audio clip over and over again, and sang with it, and cried, while my mind wondered vaguely in the background, "What does this mean?"

What do the words say?

Something about the artist’s singing of this particular mantra pierced me to my core. “What is this Japji?” I thought, “and if this one portion of it is so powerful, what dynamic is contained in its entirety?" I knew that I needed to explore this experience further.

I immediately ordered the CD of this Bani. When the CDs arrived in the mail, I immediately put on a pair of headphones and listened to the 45-minute Gurmukhi version. I wept my way through it. I found my mouth forming the sounds though I had no idea what the sounds might be and certainly no idea of what the words might mean in English.

But I found myself thinking, "Even though I have no idea what he’s saying, I know what he’s saying." (On a level far beyond left-brain comprehension and literal understanding of dictionary definitions, I knew the beauty and the grace and the transformative power of that sound current.)

Initially I deliberately chose not to question or analyze the way that this bani instantly took up residence within me. I knew that intellectual objections would arise, stemming from the fact that I had been studying Kriya Yoga since 1995 and had in fact been ordained as a swami in an order established by Paramahansa Yogananda.

I had found my medicine

I had studied Sanskrit and spent a great deal of my time in meditation chanting in Sanskrit. My immersion in Sanskrit mantra had helped me recover from a debilitating bout with chronic fatigue that had begun in 1994 and lasted for seven long and painful years. So part of my discomfort revolved around the idea that I "should" continue spiritual practices within "my own" tradition.

By the time I discovered Japji in June 2003, I had been trying for 3 1/2 years to come to terms with fibromyalgia. I had repeatedly altered and curtailed my physical activities, trying to find that magic level at which I could remain active without provoking continuous and excruciating pain. It eluded me.

I had taken several private sessions with a wonderful instructor to learn Kundalini Yoga sets specifically designed to correct the internal imbalances related to fibromyalgia and fatigue. I wanted very much to be consistent with these practices, but my body was not capable of doing them on a regular basis. When I had finally regained enough energy and vitality to begin moving in and through my life again in 2000, fibromyalgia symptoms flared up with full force and incapacitated me in a new way. Finally in 2002 I stopped everything, altogether.

The pain was taken away

Mool Mantar in the handwriting of Guru Arjan Dev ji

During the course of a year the pain decreased, eventually allowing me once again to sleep though the night. By the summer of 2003 I felt "plateaued"- happy to have reached a relatively pain-free resting place, but also stuck there. Tentative attempts at walking more than a block or two or doing gentle yoga caused rumblings below the surface which signalled that the volcano of pain could be activated with little provocation, and I was very resistant to triggering that cycle again. I thought I needed to commit myself again to intense japa (reciting), but didn’t feel drawn to any particular Sanskrit mantra.

Such was my state of affairs when I visited the spiritual music website and clicked on the Japji audio clip. I knew instantly, without even thinking it, that I had found the mantra that I needed - or that it had found me. I knew that it resonated in me and that I resonated with it and that chanting it was going to change my molecular structure - was going to literally rearrange my DNA, transform me at a cellular level, and gradually move me up and off the plateau I was resting on.

Intuitive and instant connection

I knew all of this within the first minute of hearing the audio clip-knew it completely and wholly as though someone had pressed an imprint of its truth on my third eye and I had absorbed it without needing to mentally process it. I had a fairly good idea of what my "logical" objections to pursuing this path might be, and I didn’t want to give them precedence. I wanted to have the experience first and then judge it, rather than pass a judgment which would keep me from having the experience.

In June 2004, I attended the Naad of Japji workshop in New Mexico, USA. The concentrated immersion in the sound current accelerated my physical healing in a way that I couldn’t have imagined. At this point in my life it had been over two years since I had engaged in any type of regular physical activity. One day during the Japji course we were asked to do a meditation that involved holding our arms over our heads for 11 minutes.

I thought, "I can’t even hold my arms over my head for 11 seconds because my muscles are so weak, and even if I could, the pain would be unbearable." And then I thought, "That might not be true anymore. Let’s test it." I did the meditation for 11 minutes. My arms were strong enough. And although it was somewhat painful, it was the predictable pain of the nervous system adjusting and the muscles working. At that moment I knew I was on my way off that plateau.

The miracle continued

When I returned to Chicago after the Japji course, I designed a "Return to Exercise" program for myself and repeatedly renewed my 40-day commitment to chant Japji. In June 2005 I returned to New Mexico centre for more Japji! By this time I was able to engage in some sort of cardiovascular exercise for an hour at a time, four or five days a week, at a moderate to intense level, as well as lift weights three times a week.

I was also getting out of bed consistently at 4:00 a.m. for sadhana, and I had gradually increased the amount of time I spent at my job to 40 hours weekly-something I had not been physically capable of doing since 1995. In New Mexico, I was able to participate in group sadhana, which I had not been able to do the previous summer.

It’s now June 2006. I’m still chanting Japji every day. I’m also attending a weekly Kundalini Yoga class, doing a yoga set in my own morning sadhana, and preparing to take Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training in the fall!

It has been a great blessing to be engaged in a transformative relationship with Japji Sahib, and to discover through experience that “at the root of all there is only the One.”

Learning Japji

At Japji Sahib Step by Step you can read and listen to Japji in Gurmukhi/Punjabi. The Bani is written in Roman script and it has translation in English. Click on any of the highlighted options 1 to 38 or M for Mool Mantar or S for Salok and you will be able to listen and also read this beautiful Bani.

See also

Downloads

External Links

Video links

Audio links

Text of Japji Sahib


Other Links

Suggested Reading

1. Japji (English Translation) - Sher Singh MSc Kashmir

2. Jap Ji Sahib - Vyakhya, Vichar Darshan atey Kala - Dr. Gurcharan Singh Mehta

3. Japji Viyakhya dey Prasang vich Rajneesh di Asliyat - Dr. Karamjeet Singh

4. The Japji - Guru Nanak Dev's Master Key-Holy To The Mystery Of Deification Of Man - Sher Singh MSc Kashmir

The book: "The Japji - Guru Nanak Dev's Master Key-Holy To The Mystery Of Deification Of Man" was published by Bhai Sher Singh, MSc, Kashmir on August 1, 1950.

5. Japuji Exegesis and Poetic Rendering - Dr. S.S. Bhatti

6. Translation of the Japji - M. Macauliffe

7. Sri Japji Darpan - Amarjit Singh Dhawan

8. The Japji - Ha! Guru Nanak's Honey!! - Sher Singh MSc Kashmir

9. The Japu of Guru Nanak - Sirdar Kapur Singh

10. The Region of Grace - Sirdar Kapur Singh

11. Sri Japu Nisan - Kartar Singh Dakha

12. Dua-E-Sahari (Japji Sahib ka Urdu tarjuma) - Kartar Singh Kaimbalpuri

13. Vird-E-Haq (translation of Japji Sahib in Urdu verse) - Master Lal Singh Anand Khalsa

14. Guru Nanak's Japji and Sohila-Arti - Prof. Puran Singh

15. Jap Vichar - Japji Sahib da Bahu-Pakhi Adheyan - Prof. Prakash Singh

16. Jap Ji Sahib - Vyakhya, Vichar Darshan atey Kala - Dr. Gurcharan Singh Mehta

17. Jap Vichar Tract No. 56


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